A Fight Between Parents
by Loopy Lupa
Summary: PG13 for violence and language. Song fic with Nickelback's Never Again. Dib's parents are fighting, and Dib's worried about his mother and sister. (Complete)


I really wanted to do a songfic, so here it is. I do not own Invader Zim and I don't own the song I used for it (Never Again (by Nickelback)).   
I do apologize to any Professor Membrane fans out there for making him such a jerk in this fic.  
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He's drunk again, it's time to fight  
She must have done something wrong tonight.  
  
  
  
A four year old Dib sat on the staircase in the living room, right outside the kitchen. He parents were in the kitchen, argueing about something.  
  
"What going on?" Gaz's voice came from the top of the stairs. She was only three at this time.  
  
"Nothing, go back to bed." Dib replied, shooing her back into their room. He didn't want his little sister to see the sure to come fight between their parents.  
  
  
  
The living room becomes a boxing ring  
It's time to run when you see him clenching his hands  
She's just a woman... never again  
  
  
  
His parents came into the living room, where Dib could now see both of them. His mother looked a little worried, but determined. The two of them fought often, but his mother always lost.  
  
Professor Membrane clenched hist fists, preparing to punch his wife. Dib hated to watch that.  
  
  
  
I hear her scream from down the hall  
Amazing that she can even talk at all  
She cries to me..."Go back to bed"  
I'm terrified that she'll end up dead  
She's just a woman... never again  
  
  
  
The first punch hit. Dib's mother now had blood running down her lip. She then turned, seeing Dib on the staircase.  
  
"Dib, what are you doing up?!" Her voice was full of worry. "Go back to bed, please!"  
  
Dib didn't budge from as his mother aimed a cheap shot, then suffered a hit on her cheek. Just as with any other fight he watched, Dib was worried about his mother. He was afraid his father would kill her.  
  
  
  
Been there before, but not like this  
Seen it before, but not like this  
Never before have I seen it this bad  
She's just a woman... never again  
  
  
  
The fight was getting worse and worse. Both of his parents were shedding more blood than Dib had ever seen.  
  
Then they started throwing out insults. Dib caught a couple of them, but wasn't listening to most of them. He just wanted to make sure neither of them killed each other.  
  
His father started throwing things. A china cup shattered on his mother's chest.  
  
  
  
Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell  
It starts to hurt as it starts to swell  
She looks at you... she wants the truth  
It's right out there in the waiting room with those hands  
Lookin just as sweet as he can... never again  
  
  
  
One of the ornaments his dad had thrown crashed on the stair next to Dib. Glass shards sprayed everywhere, breaking the skin several places on Dib's hand.  
  
It hurt, but Dib knew he couldn't tell anyone who had done it to him. His father wouldn't let him live if he did.  
  
Gaz, who had woken up again, silently came down the stairs.  
  
"Dib get boo boo." She said, pointing to Dib's hand. It had turned slightly green from infection. "Doctor." She suggested.  
  
"Gaz, be quiet. I can't go to a doctor for this." Dib snapped back.  
  
  
  
Seen it before, but not like this  
Been there before, but not like this  
Never before have I seen it this bad  
She's just a woman... never again  
  
  
  
Dib's mother had almost collapsed on the couch. She was getting worn out and dizzy from the loss of blood. His father wasn't done with her yet, though.  
  
"Why they fight?" Gaz asked quietly.  
  
"I don't know." Dib admitted. "But they do it a lot."  
  
Gaz didn't say anything else. She was too young to understand what was going on, but Dib thought she understood the seriousness of the situation.  
  
  
  
Father's a name you haven't earned yet  
You're just a child with a temper  
Haven't you heard "don't hit a lady"  
Kickin' your ass would be pleasure  
  
  
  
As the fight progressed, Dib tried to stop Gaz from watching. He had long since lost respect for his father thanks to these fights, but Gaz didn't need to see this.  
  
Dib tried to shoo Gaz back upstairs, but it was no use. Instead, he fixed his gaze upon his father. He wished he could beat up that man that was causing his mother so much pain.  
  
  
  
He's drunk again, it's time to fight  
Same old shit, just on a different night  
She grabs the gun, she's had enough  
Tonight she'll see just how tough is this man  
Pulls the trigger fast as she can... never again  
  
  
  
Dib's mother had obviously had enough. Dib watched, slightly perplexed, as she pulled a small handgun from under a couch cushion. He could tell his father had pushed her too far tonight.  
  
If he wasn't so entranced, Dib would have dragged Gaz back up to their bedroom. His mother was now pointing the gun at his father's head.  
  
"I've had it with this shit!" She yelled at him. "I'm going to leave. If you can't treat me with the damn respect that I deserve, I'm not sticking around."  
  
Dib's mother walked towards the front door, never aiming the gun away from his father's head.  
  
"Where are you going to go at one in the morning?" Dib's father asked her. "There are no hotels open this late."  
  
"I'll go to my mother's house." She sneered through the drying blood that coated her face. "And if you try to stop me, I swear to God that I'll shoot."  
  
  
  
Seen it before, but not like this  
Been there before, but not like this  
Never before have I seen it this bad  
She's just a woman... never again.  
  
  
  
Dib and Gaz sat there silently as their father went down to his laboratory. Dib didn't know if his mother would ever come home.  
  
"Where mommy going?" Gaz asked, starting to cry.  
  
Dib led his sister up into their room and put her to bed as he tried to explain it to her.  
  
"Mommy wanted to get away from dad for a while. I'm sure she'll be back soon." Gaz bought it, but Dib knew it wasn't true.  
  
As he climbed into his own bed, Dib knew he would probably never see his mother again. It was too late now to even say good-bye to her. He hoped that she would come and take him and Gaz away with her, but knew she wouldn't.  
  
He cried. He couldn't hold the tears back, so he let them flow openly. 


End file.
